//------------------------------// // Joust Amend-All // Story: The Lavender Arrow // by DisneyFanatic23 //------------------------------// Spike hated playing the messenger. It made him feel like a child to be running such a simple errand. As he hiked up to the small farmhouse on the hill, he tried telling himself it would all be worth it once he made it to battle. He knocked on the farmhouse door and an old gray-haired pegasus stallion answered. His proud face was wrinkled and his blue coat was duller than his aged yellow eyes. He looked down at the dragon. "Ah, young Master Spike," he said with a soft smile. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" "Sir Wind Rider," Spike said, handing him the scroll. "You didn't answer the alarm bell. Sir Scorpan figured you would need an official summons. You're to report to Midnight Castle within the hour." Wind Rider read the message with a frown. "We're all to bear arms to Trottingham?" He scrunched up the scroll. "Doesn't Sir Scorpan know I'm retired? I've played my part in this war!" Spike flinched as the balled up paper was thrown at him. "But Wind Rider, Uncle Tirek asked that every male who can hold a bow or sword must go to Trottingham! There's to be a big battle!" He bit his lip. "Besides, Sir Scorpan said if you didn't answer, he'd come convince you himself." Wind Rider groaned. "Haven't I done enough for those brothers? For twenty years I've served them and now they want me to come out of retirement? After all that I…" As he rambled on, neither he nor Spike noticed the hooded figure perched in a tree at the edge of a wood not too far away. Using pink magic from a unicorn horn, the figure levitated a bow loaded with an arrow. The arrow's tip was aimed in the direction of the old knight and the young dragon. "All I want is a little peace and quiet!" Wind Rider shouted. "Is that too much to ask f—" The arrow was released and before the fellows below could see it, it struck its target. Wind Rider gagged as the arrow pierced him straight through his shoulder. Spike gasped as the old knight collapsed to the ground. Another arrow shot through the air, narrowly missing Spike's head. It struck the doorframe of the house. Spike readied his bow and spun around to face the edge of the wood. He pointed his arrow all around as he scanned the trees, but there was no one in sight. Hearing a strange crackling sound, Spike looked back down at Wind Rider's body. From the hole made by the arrow came a sliver of white. Spike dropped his bow and watched in horror as the whiteness spread across the body. Before long, the dead knight was completely encased in stone. The only thing remaining the same was the arrow impaled through the shoulder. Spike was frozen as he continued to stare at the awful display. "Spike!" Sir Scorpan called as he flew up the hill. "Spike!" He threw his arms around the young dragon. "What happened?" "He…he…" Spike said, his throat closing up. "Arrow…hit…stone…" Scorpan looked down at the stone body. "Spike. Spike, it's alright." He held him tighter. "It wasn't your fault." "D-D-Dad…" Scorpan turned to him. "You should go home. Get out of here." Spike shook his head. "Who…who could've done this?" After finally convincing him to sit down, Scorpan went over to examine the stone body. With a mighty tug, he pulled the arrow out of the shoulder. As soon as he did, the hole was magically sealed over with stone. "Spike," he said, showing the dragon the arrow. "Look at its head. Look at its shaft." Still slightly shaken up, Spike looked down at the arrow. "They're…purple." Scorpan shook his head. "Lavender." The dragon blinked. "Is there a difference?" "These are special arrows, made with magic. Once the tip pierces you, doesn't matter where, your body is instantly turned to stone." He turned it over in his hand. "The enchantment turns the arrow's head and shaft lavender." "Uncle Scorpan." Spike glanced at what used to be Wind Rider. "Stone…the arrow…is it?" "Yes," Scorpan said, nodding. "It is." Spike curled his legs up to his chest. Scorpan then took the second arrow off the doorframe. Tied to it was a small scroll. "But this one's not enchanted," he said, untying the scroll from the arrow. "It was only to send a message." Unrolling the scroll, he began to read. After a minute, Scorpan's face paled. "What?" Spike asked. "What does it say?" Scorpan hesitated. "Um…" The dragon leapt up and snatched the paper so he could read it himself. It was a rhyme. I had four lavender arrows under my belt, Four for the griefs that I have felt, Four for the number of ill beings That have oppressed me in their dealings. One is gone; one is well sped; Old Sir Wind Rider is dead. One is for Discord, the Chaos Lord, That burned my home, my room, my board. One for Sir Scorpan, who had shown His brother to turn Sir Spikus to stone. Lord Tirek, I'll save you for last. You'll rue the day you made me outcast. Ye shall each have your own part, A lavender arrow in each heart. Ye shall suffer like the dragon you slew, Ye four statues, when I am through. Joust Amend-All And the Society of the Lavender Arrow Once he was finished reading, Spike looked up at the gargoyle. "Uncle…Uncle Scorpan, this note, it…it mentions my father." He glanced at the two arrows in Scorpan's hand. "Is…did you…?" "Spike," Scorpan said, laying a hand on the dragon's shoulder. "I swear to you that I never harmed your father. Don't believe a word it says." He showed him the arrows. "These are like the one that took your father. For all we know, it might be the same archer, or a friend of the fiend." Spike stared at the lavender arrows. "Nevertheless," Scorpan said, taking the note and rolling it up. "We are in danger." He handed the scroll to Spike. "You must go on ahead to Trottingham, give this to my brother. Warn him about this Joust Amend-All." "By myself?" Spike asked, shivering at the thought of running into the one responsible for this gruesome murder. "It's not far. Only a few hours' walk. And you won't have to worry about running into those outlaws. They did not name you as their next victim. Though, just in case, you must stay on the path, and if you hear any sign of movement, run!" He placed the scroll in the dragon's claw. "Go swiftly. We'll follow you." Spike took one last look at Wind Rider before racing down the hill. Scorpan turned to the poor stallion in stone and then glanced down at the lavender arrows in his hand. "So, you've come back for me," he said, looking out at the edge of the wood. "You think you can play judge and jury?" Growling, he gripped the arrows until they cracked. "You don't know what happened that day." That afternoon in Trottingham, Lord Tirek and his entourage had taken up lodging in an inn. They were all sitting down to supper and drinking ale. The Diamond Dogs laughed as Discord entertained them by juggling some apples. As the apples went round, they transformed into oranges, but turned back to apples before they landed in his paw. The young mare whom they had forced into male attire was sitting unwittingly on the table bench, squished between two Diamond Dogs. Every now and then she would send them hateful scowls. "Come now, Master Applejack," Tirek said mockingly as he swung his pint of ale about his hand. "Surely you must be hungry. The journey was long today." The mare he called Applejack glared in his direction. "You take me from my home, force me into these clothes and ya expect me to break bread with ya?" She crossed her hooves over her chest. "No, sir!" Tirek chuckled. "Lighten up, boy. Have a drink." He slid his tankard across the table, but she did not catch it. She simply watched with disinterest as it slid past her and over to where Discord was standing. He cried out as he tripped over the tankard and landed face-first into a Diamond Dog's stew. The spectacle was so amusing, the Diamond Dog didn't even care that his supper had been spilt. Instead, he laughed and banged his wooden spoon atop Discord's head. Applejack rolled her eyes at their drunken stupor. The innkeeper approached the table. "Lord Tirek? There's a young dragon here to see you." "Ah," Tirek said, standing up. "He's early. Discord!" "Yeah?" the draconequus said, lifting his dripping head up. He pointed to Applejack. "Keep an eye on our…guest." Nonchalantly, Discord pulled one of his own eyes out of its socket. "Eye-eye, sir!" He chuckled as he directed the eye towards Applejack, who recoiled in disgust. Tirek rolled his own eyes as he followed the innkeeper into a private room. "Hey, boys," Discord said, rising to his goat hoof and dragon foot. "Watch this." He took out his other eye and started juggling both of them. Soon they multiplied so that he was juggling ten eyes. As the Diamond Dogs laughed and cheered, Applejack glanced at the door where Tirek had gone. Now that he wasn't watching, perhaps this was the time to make her escape. She looked back at Discord, who had magically removed his head so that he was juggling it. He appeared too drunk to notice anything, though his multiple juggling eyes made her nervous. Glancing at the food on the table, she realized Tirek was right about one thing. The journey was long. She would need her strength. No one thought twice about her hoof slowly reaching across the table and grabbing an apple and a slice of bread. She slid them into the pockets of her trousers. It wasn't much, but she couldn't let anything slow her down. Discord cried out as his hoof stepped onto a plate and he fell backward, dropping his head and eyes. "Whoopsies!" he said as he padded his paw and claw around. "Someone help me find my eyes? And head?" Some Diamond Dogs scrambled to help while some just laughed further. One dog picked up an eye and held it out of reach of Discord's headless body. Now's my chance, Applejack thought. Slowly, she slid herself downward, carefully keeping an eye on the dogs surrounding her. Soon she was under the table and out of sight. In the other room, Tirek was seated across from Spike at a table, reading the scroll left by Joust Amend-All and keeping a stern expression while doing so. He lowered the paper to look at his ward. "You've read this?" Spike nodded. "Uncle Tirek, is…is anything in that letter…true?" Scowling, Tirek rose from the table. "You would believe the words of a murderer over your own guardian?" He slammed his fist down. "I, who took you in, raised you as my own, taught you everything I know?!" Spike hung his head. "S-Sorry, Uncle Tirek, but…I was only six years old when my father was…" He winced. "You can understand why I have to…make sure, you know? I mean I know Uncle Scorpan couldn't have…" "Don't you see, boy? Wind Rider was struck and turned to stone by a lavender arrow. This letter even admits it was a lavender arrow that turned your father to stone." He crumpled the paper in his fist. "And who else wields the power of the lavender arrow?" Spike looked up at him with wide eyes. "You mean…?" "Yes," Tirek said, opening up the letter so that he could examine it. "No doubt it is the work of that madmare, Twilight Sparkle." The dragon gulped. "I…I thought she was dead!" "As did I, my boy, but it appears your father's murderer is still at large." Tirek cleared his throat. "I will say one thing in this letter is true. I did order Discord to burn down Sparkle's home, but it was an attempt to smoke her out so that we may seize her and bring her to justice for her crimes. We assumed she had perished in the fire." He slammed the paper on the table. "So you see, this was just an attempt of Twilight Sparkle's to throw suspicion off herself for your father's murder." Spike stood up from his seat. "We have to find her, Uncle Tirek! We have to make her pay for what she did to my father!" "All in good time, my boy," Tirek said, going to the door and opening it. "Innkeeper! A quill, ink, and some paper!" He shut the door and turned back to Spike. "For now, you must return to Midnight Castle." "What?" Spike said in anger. "You're not gonna let me fight? Or at least track down this murderer?!" "This is an important errand, my boy." The innkeeper reopened the door and handed Tirek all he requested. "Besides," the centaur said, returning to the table, "you are far too young for battle." He sat down to write, murmuring, "And you're no use to me dead." "I am not too young!" Spike exclaimed, stamping his foot. "And I'm not gonna run away like a coward!" "This isn't cowardice," Tirek said as he blew on the written ink to make it dry faster. "This is strategy." He rolled up the paper and handed it to Spike. "Do not delay. It is most urgent that this gets to Midnight Castle. Just hand it to the Diamond Dog in charge. He'll know what to do. And remember, if you run into any outlaws or Celestials on the way, do not engage. Run as fast as you can." Spike folded his arms stubbornly. Tirek gave him a stern look. "I mean it, boy," the centaur said with a growl. Shrinking under his gaze, Spike took the scroll and tucked it into his belt. He turned to leave, but Tirek stopped him by placing a large hand on his head. "Before you go," Tirek said with a smirk, "there's some pony I'd like to introduce you to." He opened the door. "Wait here." Applejack crawled under the table, snaking her way around the enormous, smelly feet of the Diamond Dogs. She had to hold her hoof over her muzzle to keep herself from gagging. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimmer of light. Hanging from a Diamond Dog's belt was a small but sharp dagger. I'd need something to defend myself, just in case, she thought as she reached for the dagger. Pa told me never to steal, but he also said desperate times call for desperate measures. She touched the hilt of the dagger and slowly lifted it upwards. She flinched when the dog moved his leg, but did not drop the knife. She bit her lip as she lifted the dagger the rest of the way and then quickly brought it to her chest. The Diamond Dog didn't seem to notice, so she tucked the dagger into her belt and continued to crawl. She was at the end of the table and could see the door leading outside. She was about to make a run for it when a new thought occurred to her. Even if she made it out of the inn, how was she to find her way home? She didn't have a map and it wasn't like she could ask any of the Diamond Dogs for directions. Then the door to the other room swung open and Applejack shrank back under the table as Tirek stepped out. He left the door open, allowing her to see what was inside. A young dragon who didn't look any older than twelve was sitting at a table, looking dejected. Seeing that he was holding a scroll, she assumed him to be a page here to bring a message. He had an honest face, and he looked too young to bear any ill intentions. Well, she thought as she cautiously crawled out from under the table, beats the dogs. Spike slumped his head on the table, annoyed that he had to deliver yet another message. Meanwhile, his father's killer was out there, ready to strike again. Not to mention he was going to miss the battle. "Pssst!" Spike lifted his head and looked around the room. "Pssst! Boy!" He turned around and saw the face of a colt in the doorway. He studied the face carefully. "Why you calling me 'boy?' I may look young, but I'm not much older than you!" "Yeah, yeah, whatever," Applejack said, glancing hastily behind her. "Listen, I'm in serious need of help here. You wouldn't happen to know the way to Applewood, would ya?" "Applewood? Sure. You just take the path on the south side of town, go right when you reach a fork in the road, keeping going until you come to a river. There you'll have to hail a ferry. The ferry pony should be able to tell you the rest of the way." Applejack smiled. "Thank ya, boy. I won't forget this." She started to leave but then turned back. "Oh! And I would really appreciate it if ya didn't tell any pony ya saw me. There are fellas here who mean me harm." Spike moved his fingers across his lips, pretended to lock his mouth up and throw away the key. After sending him one more smile, Applejack bolted away. "Strange colt," Spike said, turning back to the table. "Boy? Me? He looked as if he'd just left the schoolroom!" There was a loud crash in the next room and a shout. "WHERE IS SHE?!" Spike turned to see what was happening, but a drunken Diamond Dog leaned absentmindedly against the door, shutting it on him. He could hear shouts, but he couldn't make out what his guardian was saying. "WHERE IS SHE, YOU IDIOT?!" Tirek said, wringing Discord's neck. Discord nervously popped his last eye into its socket and forced a grin. "She, um…she was right here, I swear!" Tirek roared and pushed the draconequus onto the table, sending dishes everywhere. He stomped over to the bar where the innkeeper was shivering in fright. "YOU!" he shouted, pointing. "Did you see a young mare come through here?!" "You'll have to be more specific," the innkeeper said, indicating a group of frightened mares huddled into a corner. "An earth mare! Orange coat, blonde mane, green eyes, freckles?!" "I, um…saw no mare like that, but I did see a young colt fitting that description just leave …" "IDIOT!" Tirek bellowed, grabbing the front of the innkeeper's shirt. "COULDN'T YOU SEE IT WAS A MARE?! WHICH WAY DID SHE GO?!" Gulping, the innkeeper pointed out the door. Tirek dropped the stallion and turned to his Diamond Dogs. "Well, don't just sit there! FIND HER!" The dogs scrambled onto their feet and hastened out the door. The door to the other room opened and Spike stepped out in confusion. "Uncle Tirek? What's going on?" Tirek inhaled deeply. When he exhaled, he put on a smile and turned to the dragon. "Nothing that concerns you, my dear ward," Tirek said, bending over to pat him on the head. "Just war stuff. You'll understand when you're older." "But," Spike said, blinking, "who was that she you kept screaming about?" Tirek frowned. "Like I said, you'll understand when you're older." "But…" "Run along now," Tirek said, gently pushing his ward toward the door. "Deliver my message for me like a good boy." Despite his lingering confusion, Spike obeyed his guardian. "Yes, Uncle Tirek." And so the young dragon exited the inn. Discord was about to do the same when Tirek caught him by the neck. "And just where do you think you're going?" Discord gulped. "I thought you wanted us to go get the girl?" Tirek released his neck. "I have a special job for you." He showed Discord the letter from Joust Amend-All. When Discord read it, his eyes literally popped out of their sockets. He had to pick them off the ground and put them back in. "You know what this means, don't you?" Tirek asked. Discord lowered the letter. "That Wind Rider is stone?" The centaur nodded. "And I take it you've already guessed who this Joust Amend-All is." Biting his lip, Discord said, "Twilight Sparkle?" "Very good. Now, my memory's not completely perfect, but I seem to recall that the creature I had sent to take care of her was…" Discord choked as Tirek wringed his neck again. "YOU!" "Hey!" Discord wheezed, flailing his arms about. "I burned her house down! How was I to know she'd escape?!" Tirek brought him to his face. "You should've counted on it! You call yourself the Lord of Chaos but you couldn't even get rid of one measly little unicorn!" He shoved the letter in Discord's face. "The boy is already starting to ask questions! If he ever learns the truth, all my plans will be ruined, because of you!" Discord gasped as Tirek squeezed tighter. He was sure he was going to suffocate when Tirek suddenly released him, dropping him to the ground. "But," Tirek said, taking a calming deep breath, "you still have a chance to make up for your mistake." He threw the letter to the ground beside Discord. "Find Twilight Sparkle and her little secret society. And this time," he said, narrowing his eyes, "finish the job."